3t’s general manager for Scotland, Jamie Purves, has taken on an additional role managing the utilities and construction training (UCT) division of the business.
With centres across the UK in Manchester, Glasgow, and London, this is a new UK-wide role for Jamie. As well as overseeing the day-to-day operations for UCT’s centres, he will support key utilities clients throughout the UK with training requirements.
Jamie has worked in training and competency for almost 25 years and has managed several training centres around the world. He will now be utilising his extensive leadership experience in training and competency to support UCT.
The UCT division works with some of the utilities sector’s biggest names across the gas, water and power distribution networks to help raise industry standards and deliver compliance. It is also the only training provider offering apprenticeships to new utility industry entrants.
The UK’s gas distribution and transmission networks are undergoing rapid change and face several challenges. As well as an ageing infrastructure which is increasingly costly to maintain, the industry is gearing up for the transition to greener energies such as hydrogen.
Jamie’s priority will be to bring the power of digitalisation to UCT’s course portfolio to help the utility and construction sectors work safer, smarter, and more efficiently. He will also be looking at developing the skills and competency courses required to expedite the industry’s shift to hydrogen.
Safety remains a key consideration. Technology such as VR, eLearning, blended learning, and gaming-inspired apps can help workers absorb and retain safety-critical information more readily – with studies showing as much as 70% improvement.
Jamie said: “UCT works very closely with its clients to truly understand their needs and provides the skills training to match. I am looking forward to working with the expert internal team to ensure we provide agile and effective solutions to industry challenges. I want to continue to build on UCT’s world-class reputation, at the same time as looking at new ways to enhance the training experience for all clients.”
